From Out Of The Belfry
by Bandicoot Sauce
Summary: Friendship Is Magic universe. When a mysterious young stallion takes up residence in Ponyville, Applejack is hesitant to trust him due to his seclusive nature. Her fears are compounded when this stranger befriends Applebloom… and is later seen digging graves in the dead of night!
1. Chapter 1

**From Out Of The Belfry**

Chapter 1

Thunder rumbled.

The wind howled.

The rain poured.

The fact that the fierce storm that currently ravaged the ethnic region of Equestria had been scheduled in advance by her fellow Pegasi didn't make Fluttershy any less likely to give a startled gasp every time lightning flashed in the distance outside her window. The yellow mare kept finding herself looking up from the book she was reading as she sat there on the living room sofa, her gaze immediately wandering to the rain-soaked glass panels, only to flinch in alarm at the sight of another bolt of electricity illuminating the night sky, striking the land without mercy.

Fluttershy sighed and set her copy of _A Pony's Guide To Animal TLC: Volume 4_ \- which had, of course, been loaned to her by her friend Twilight - aside, having reached the conclusion that she was simply too distracted by the bad weather to unwind with a mere book. She got up, trotted over to the window, seized the curtains with her teeth and pulled them across, obscuring her view of the outside world. Once that was done, she did a quick visual sweep of the animals that had taken roost in her living room for the evening, making a mental note of how many there were:

A pair of tawny owls sat perched on the rafter beams, dozing despite their nocturnal nature, having nothing better to do while waiting out the storm. A family of ferrets were curled up in the corner of the room, huddled together for warmth. Angel Bunny was asleep on his bed of hay, snoring contentedly as he clutched a carrot to his chest, like a child sleeping with a beloved plush toy. Fluttershy smiled at how innocent and cute the animals all looked in this state, though she also felt a slight pang of jealousy at how they could all sleep through the roar of the wind and rain like it was nothing, whereas she was trying to resist the temptation to hide under the sofa every time thunder boomed.

"I think I'll go to bed," the pale yellow Pegasus whispered to herself. "It'll be easier for me to relax once I'm under the covers, especially if…" She trailed off as she made her way out of the room.

Fluttershy may have been preparing to wind down for the night, but not everypony was lucky enough to have a roof over their heads that evening. Outside in the pouring rain, a set of hooves sloshed their way through a deep puddle, their owner clad in a dark blue hooded cloak that was soaked through. The hooded figure stopped and stared up at the cottage that stood at the edge of Ponyville, noticing the light in the window, shining through the gap in the drawn curtains. An ounce of hope flickered in the figure's green eyes.

Inside her cottage, Fluttershy hummed a soft little tune to herself as she lit a stick of lavender incense in the antique burner Rarity had given her as a birthday present, said burner positioned on her bedside table. Another bout of thunder rumbled outside and the Pegasus tensed up for a moment before exhaling deeply. "It's just a little rough weather," she said aloud, trying to reassure herself. "Nothing to jump out of my coat over."

_Knock, knock, knock._

Fluttershy nearly _did_ jump out of her yellow coat at the sound of hooves knocking at her front door, and she was sure that if she hadn't already moved away from the incense burner, she would've knocked it over and possibly started a house fire.

"Goodness! Wh-Who could be knocking on my door at _this_ hour?" she murmured, glancing out the bedroom doorway and down the stairs. She hesitated, and then she slowly, almost reluctantly began to move, one cautious hoof in front of the other, forcing herself to make her way downstairs, a number of thoughts racing through her head. Thoughts of who - or what - might await her on her doorstep.

A memory swam to the forefront of Fluttershy's mind just as she reached the front door and she stopped in her tracks, suddenly stricken with terror.

During the previous year's Nightmare Night festivities, Twilight had read Fluttershy and her other friends a spooky story by Edgar Allen Pony. It had told of a mysterious raven that had terrorised a pony who, despite his immense wealth, had been sad and lonely for a long time. The story had been presented as a poem, and a decidedly cryptic one at that. Fluttershy remembered Twilight saying that the exact message of the story was open to interpretation, but the part that Fluttershy remembered clearly was the part that spoke of a tapping.

A tapping at the wealthy pony's chamber door.

A tapping that had signified the strange and spooky raven's arrival.

A tapping not unlike the knocking Fluttershy had heard but a few moments ago.

Fluttershy found herself trembling as she stood before the door. Was that what awaited on her doorstep? Was she about to be visited by a raven that would taunt her ceaselessly, that would cast a cursed shadow over her from which her soul would be lifted nevermore?

"N-No," she told herself. "Those are just the words of a silly poem that was written in Old Ponish, meant to rhyme before anything else. Birds don't really cast soul-sealing curses with their shadows…" She swallowed, beads of fearful sweat appearing on her brow. "Or at least I _hope_ not!" she concluded with a whimper.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Fluttershy yelped and leapt a good ten paces away from the door in a single bound, darting behind the sofa and covering her eyes with her wings as she crouched there, shaking like a leaf. There was something frightful at the door, she just knew it. That spooky poem of Twilight's had gone to Fluttershy's head, and now she was afraid to open her eyes, let alone answer the door.

"Hello?" a quiet voice called out from the far side of the front door, barely audible through the pouring rain. Fluttershy stopped trembling, surprised by how gentle and timid the voice sounded. It didn't sound malicious, and the fact that it had uttered 'Hello' rather than 'Nevermore' went a long way to quell at least some of the yellow mare's fear. "I… I just…" A soft, sad sigh then followed, and then there was silence, save for the continued rainfall and a distant rumble of thunder. Fluttershy realised that whoever it was must've started to walk away.

"Wait!" she called before she knew what she was doing. She stood up, hurriedly trotting over to the door. That voice… It had reminded her of how her own voice had used to sound; Unsure. Lacking confidence. Barely above a whisper.

Fluttershy unlocked the door and pushed it open, its hinges creaking as the light of her living room was cast out into the dark of the night, illuminating the hooded figure who faced away from the door, having started to walk back down the path that led up to the yellow mare's cottage. He now stood almost motionless, daring to glance back at the Pegasus who now stood in the cottage's doorway, the glint of his eyes visible even in the darkness and through the heavy rain.

He had the build of a pony, tall and skinny under that hooded garment of his. His face was hidden in the shadow of the hood, so it was impossible to make out the finer details of his muzzle or mane, especially from this distance. He gazed at Fluttershy with a hopeful yet decidedly wary look in his eye.

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy called out into the storm. "It's just that I wasn't expecting visitors at this hour and I… Well, I was a bit frightened when you knocked so suddenly," she admitted, looking a little embarrassed. "It's okay, though! I'm sure you didn't mean any harm. Well, mostly sure," she added in an awkward mumble, lowering her voice so he wouldn't hear the last part.

The hooded pony continued to stare at her for a moment. Then he turned and slowly, cautiously trotted up to meet her, watching her carefully all the while, like a wild animal debating whether or not it was safe to take food from a pony's outstretched hoof.

"Goodness, you're soaked through!" Fluttershy exclaimed, her eyes widening at just how drenched this stranger was. Just how long had he been out in the rain?! "Please, come inside! I'll get you some warm blankets and some hot soup and… and… Please, just hurry!" she pleaded, noticing how hesitant he still looked. She gestured desperately for him to make his way inside, and quite suddenly, he bolted past her as though he had been shot out of Pinkie Pie's party cannon and made his way into the centre of the living room, where he stood shivering, absolutely sopping wet.

Fluttershy just stared at her unexpected house guest incredulously as she closed the front door behind her. He was just standing there, still wearing that drenched cloak, the hood still up. It was as though he didn't know what he was supposed to do now that he was actually inside somepony's house.

"Please, take that cloak off! You must surely be freezing!" Fluttershy said to him, concern all over her face. The hooded pony hesitated once again, and then, quick as a flash, he darted behind the sofa. Bewildered, Fluttershy checked that the front door was locked once more before moving to approach him. The strange pony bolted just as Fluttershy's pink mane appeared around the edge of the sofa, leaving his rain-drenched cloak on the floor where he had been crouched. Fluttershy stared from it to the direction this increasingly perplexing pony had disappeared in, spotting him crouched under a nearby table that had a vase positioned atop it, a single daisy within. The soaked pony had positioned himself so that his visage was hidden in the shadow cast by the table.

"W-Wait!" he gasped as Fluttershy started towards him, the mare now really worried for this truly odd stallion. "Please, I…" He sighed. "It's best that you d-don't see my face," he managed in his husky voice, sounding gloomy. "Or my wings."

Fluttershy didn't know how to respond to that. What an odd thing for a pony to say, especially in this instance. This poor fellow desperately needed warming up before he caught a nasty chill… or worse. But how could Fluttershy help him if he was determined to hide his face? Even Rarity, who took great pride in her appearance, wouldn't be so foolishly vain as to risk her health just for the sake of getting her make-up right. And what sort of Pegasus would be ashamed of their wings? Perhaps they were underdeveloped, akin to Scootaloo's? If so, that was nothing to be ashamed of. A Pegasus who couldn't fly was no less worthy for it. Fluttershy herself was not the most confident of flyers, but she could offer up something far more valuable in the form of her Element.

"Don't be silly," she told him with a warm smile on her face as she walked over, the soaked pony shrinking back slightly at her approach. "With those luminous green eyes, I'll bet you have a handsome face and a beautiful smile, and I'm sure your wingspan is simply majestic. You just need to have a positive view of yourself. So, come on out of there. Let me see you for what you are - every wonderful bit of you," she said kindly, extending a hoof to help him up. The soaked pony hesitated once again, and then slowly reached out to take Fluttershy's hoof, allowing her to help him out from under the table and up to his full height.

"Th-Thank you," he stammered, shivering from how cold and wet he still was. Fluttershy wasted no time in bringing him a couple of towels to dry him off, insisting on assisting with such. She had expected the stranger to protest, if not resist, but he just spread his wings and stood there with a resigned yet no less apprehensive air about him as Fluttershy wiped him down. Initially, the yellow mare didn't even notice that her guest's wings bore no feathers, for she was too busy babbling about the state of him.

"My goodness, you're practically an icicle! That's it - I'm drawing you a nice hot bath! No, no, don't say a word! It's for your own good. I'll get out some herbal bath salts and my hair dryer and before you know it, you'll be nice and… warm," she finished, now taking in the sight of her guest's wings for the first time. They were dark blue and leathery, like the wings of a… _bat_. His coat was dark grey, contrasting his pure white mane, which was cut fairly short and currently matted down by its dampness, the fringe having been dyed hot pink. He had no Cutie Mark, but that wasn't what caught Fluttershy's attention as her eyes wandered from her guest's wings to his face. His eyes, whilst showing his timid state, also reflected a certain wild, almost feral nature within. His ears appeared to be tipped with tufts of fur, but it was his teeth that stood out the most.

On either side of the pony's face, a long, sharp-looking fang protruded from his gums, poking out of the sides of his mouth. They greatly contrasted the rest of his teeth, which didn't stand out in any particular way.

"Oh, my…" Fluttershy murmured, eyeing the fangs with disbelief and - there was no way around it - apprehension. Those fangs looked fierce, which in turn gave the pony who bore them something of a fierce appearance as well despite his lanky build. "My, what big teeth you have," the mare blurted out before she could stop herself. "Big, _beautiful_ teeth, I mean!" she added quickly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. She would try to avoid such at the best of times, but those fangs… They had unnerved her, and the pony who bore them had noticed. He sighed sadly.

"That's why I didn't want you to see my face," he admitted, averting his gaze. "I figured you'd be… well, afraid of me."

Fluttershy stared at the young stallion before her, noting his blatant lack of confidence and his social awkwardness. It wasn't all that long ago that she had been in his position. She reached up and placed a hoof against his chest, causing him to look up at her, surprised.

"I would never turn away somepony in need, scary or not," she assured him.

"So I _am_ scary to you," the bat-winged pony summarised, hanging his head miserably, his leathery wings drooping.

"Scary? Oh, g-goodness, no," Fluttershy said hurriedly. "I'd say you're more…" The mare racked her brains, trying to think of the right word to describe her unlikely guest. One that wouldn't diminish his self-esteem any further. "You're more… rugged! Yes, that's it! Rugged and… quite chiseled around the cheekbones, if I may say so," she commented, taking a leaf out of Rarity's book and throwing just a little playful, borderline flirtatious flattery into the mix. It seemed to do the trick, for the bat-winged pony managed a small smile in spite of himself. "I'll bet you're quite handsome when all cleaned up. Oh! That reminds me! I should hurry and get that hot bath I promised ready for you!"

"Thank you, Miss…" the bat-winged pony began, trailing off.

"Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Fluttershy," the yellow mare elaborated, draping the now damp towel over her back as she spoke. "May I ask your name?"

The bat-winged pony was silent for a moment. He then lifted his head, looked Fluttershy directly in the eye and spoke confidently:

"My name is Frigid Faze."

Fluttershy nodded, smiling. It was an unusual name for a pony; oddly spooky, but not outright foreboding. She noticed from Frigid Faze's tone that, while obviously not proud of his outward appearance, he seemed quite comfortable with his given name.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Mr. Faze," she told him before turning and starting toward the bathroom. She glanced back at the bat-winged pony when he didn't immediately follow. "Come along now. Don't be shy."

"R-Right. Thank you, Miss Fluttershy," Frigid said politely, hurriedly trotting over to accompany his host.

"Just Fluttershy is fine, Mr. Faze. No need to be so formal."

Frigid managed another small smile at that. "Then call me Frigid. My f-father always said that a first name basis should be mutual."

Fluttershy beamed, glad that her guest was starting to feel more at ease, as indicated by his more talkative mood. "Well said, Frigid," she said warmly as they both entered the bathroom, the mare closing the door behind her. "Now, just hold on a moment while I get the water ready…"

* * *

**I've been planning a Batpony OC for a while now, and assuming this fanfic goes well, I just might incorporate Frigid Faze into more of my _MLP_ fanfics. Yeah, I know, Batponies are widely considered the dregs of pony OC material (well, next to Alicorn OCs), but I hope readers will give my boy Frigid the benefit of a doubt.**

**See you next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The storm had cleared up by the time the morning sun started to rise over Ponyville, though the dirt and grass would remain quite damp for a while yet, with the path leading up to Fluttershy's cottage being marred with muddy puddles that were decidedly deep. Despite the moisture rich climate, a few of the local sparrows had taken to the cold, wet branches of the nearby trees, twittering and chirping to welcome the new dawn.

Inside her cottage, Fluttershy sleepily opened one eye at the sound of the birds, smiling in response to the gentle warbling. The yellow Pegasus had spent the night on the sofa, having insisted on her unexpected house guest taking the bedroom.

"Oh!" the timid mare exclaimed aloud as she remembered her guest. She hastily pushed the blanket off herself and got up, soon trotting across the wooden floor and proceeding into the kitchen, where she busied herself preparing a pot of tea and some daisy sandwiches.

As the rustic yet faithful teapot came to a boil on the wood fire stove, Fluttershy found herself staring at the little sandwiches on the platter that rested on the kitchen bench before her, said sandwiches having been cut into triangles by means of a knife that the mare still held by the handle, clenched firmly between her teeth. After a moment, she lowered her head and proceeded to cut the crusts off the sandwiches before laying the knife aside, a satisfied smile now present on her face as she admired the fruits of her labour.

"Yes, that's _much_ better," she decided happily. She then went to pour the tea, inhaling deeply as she did so, briefly indulging in the hot liquid's peppermint scent. Once the tray was ladled with food and drink, she warily took hold of it with her teeth and lifted it up. The tray quivered; the yellow Pegasus didn't have a very firm grip on it. Fluttershy set the tray back down on the bench, letting out a little displeased moan that was, in a word, adorable. She thought for a moment before flapping her wings and lifting off the floor, floating up to reach the higher kitchen cupboards, soon finding what she sought within.

A few moments later, Fluttershy laid the last plate to rest on the living room coffee table, having moved the food and drink items there bit by bit to minimise the risk of spillage or broken ceramics. Once satisfied with the spread, the mare made her way upstairs and gave a gentle tap on the bedroom door before slowly pushing it open.

"Frigid? Are you awake?" she called softly as she stepped into the bedroom. As her blue eyes fell upon her bed, she was surprised to find it unoccupied. The covers were strewn about somewhat, suggesting that it had been slept in at some stage during the night, but now… Fluttershy bit her lip, not quite sure what to make of this. "Frigid?" she tried again more clearly, struggling to keep the hint of worry out of her voice.

"Up here, Miss Fluttershy," came a familiar husky voice. Fluttershy looked up, following the sound and gasped, finding herself taken aback by what she was looking at.

Frigid Faze hung directly over the bed, suspended upside-down from the rafters, seeming to be clinging to them by his rear hooves. His leathery bat wings were wrapped around his body as hung there, blinking those luminous green eyes of his in a polite, seemingly oblivious manner. His tufted ears hung straight down, their every trace of fur directed at the ground. The bat-like pony looked quite the sight hanging there, and Fluttershy found herself at a loss for what to make of him.

"Goodness!" the yellow Pegasus exclaimed, a bewildered giggle escaping her throat as she stared up at Frigid. "Have… Have you been hanging up there all night?"

"M-Most of the night, yeah," Frigid admitted, suddenly detaching himself from the rafters, uprighting himself and spreading his wings even as he fell, smartly flapping them to slow his descent. In this one swift, fluid motion, he touched down gracefully upon Fluttershy's bed, leaving the mare awed at (and a little envious of) his seamless aerodynamics; with moves like that, he could give even Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts a run for their money. "We Batponies tend to find elevated supports m-more restful than a typical bed. That's n-not to say that we're above the allure of a soft mattress on especially cold nights," he admitted, giving a somewhat awkward chuckle.

Fluttershy noticed that Frigid's words were still peppered with stuttering, albeit infrequently, but she decided not to call attention to it; doing so would be rude of her. Instead, she gave a small chuckle of her own in response to his words. "I can't argue with that," she said knowingly. "I can't tell you how many snowy evenings I've spent curled up in my living room, snuggled up with my animals in front of a warm fireplace, a mug of cocoa with marshmallows in hoof…" A dreamy look passed over the mare's face as she became momentarily lost in her reminiscing.

"I've never had cocoa, with or without marshmallows," Frigid confessed, looking a little crestfallen as he spoke, his gaze downcast. "Bovines cannot survive in the harsh climate of my homeland, m-meaning that milk is n-not a resource my clan has access to."

"Oh! I'm sorry," Fluttershy said quickly, realising what she was doing. "Sometimes I lose myself in my daydreaming. Anyway, I just came to tell you that breakfast is ready."

Frigid looked surprised. "You made breakfast for me?" he asked. "That… Th-That was awfully kind of you…" He averted his gaze, a faint reddish tinge appearing on his cheeks. Fluttershy beamed at him, finding the Batpony's awkwardness to be very endearing.

"You'll find that kindness is something of a specialty of mine," the yellow Pegasus said knowingly. She turned away, starting for the doorway. "I'll wait for you downstairs. Don't take too long now; the tea's best enjoyed hot."

* * *

"Oh, m-my," Frigid said with his mouth full, his words barely coherent through a heaping helping of bread, organic butter and flower petals as he sat there on one side of the sofa, breadcrumbs scattered all across his muzzle. "Your clan g-grows this stuff locally? Incredible," he managed before swallowing greedily and picking up his mug of tea in both hooves. He proceeded to slurp the peppermint liquid noisily. _Very_ noisily. He drained half of the mug's contents in seconds before letting out an ear-splitting belch. Despite his nervous stutter and polite demeanour, he seemed to have no qualms about eating ravenously, his table manners - or lack thereof - akin to those of a colt barely out of infancy. His teeth and fangs alike ripped through the bread like there was no tomorrow, his chewing rapid and open-mouthed.

"You must've been really hungry," Fluttershy mused, hoping that that alone was the reason for the Batpony's borderline gluttony. Speaking of the term 'Batpony', Fluttershy realised that she was unfamiliar with such. She knew of the unicorn, Alicorn, earth pony and Pegasus tribes… but Batponies? The only time she had encountered anything close to a bat and pony hybrid (assuming that was indeed what a Batpony was) was when she herself had helped Twilight and Applejack stop an infestation of vampire fruit bats over at Sweet Apple Acres... only to end up taking on the physical traits and primal instincts of a bat herself due to a magical mishap. _That_ had been an experience and a half, for sure.

"A little bit, yeah," Frigid admitted as he grabbed another sandwich from the tray and proceeded to tear it to shreds with all the discretion of a predator ripping apart its helpless prey. "Oh!" he then exclaimed, stopping abruptly, his green eyes wide with realisation. "I'm not eating m-more than my fair share, am I?"

It was all Fluttershy could do to refrain from giggling at her guest's obliviousness. "No, no, that's quite alright. They're there to be eaten, those sandwiches," she assured him. "Whatever we don't eat will go to my animals… provided it doesn't cut into their recommended dietary supplement. I strive to keep my animals healthy as well as happy. Anyway, I was hoping you could tell me a little more about yourself - if you don't mind, of course. It's just that I've never met a Batpony before and… Well, I'm a little humbled, if I may say so."

Frigid looked surprised at that, his rapid chewing slowing to a crawl as he averted his gaze, a very distinct blush appearing on both sides of his face. "H-Humbled? Wow," he managed in a quiet mumble, sounding a fair bit humbled himself, if not embarrassed. "I mean, I… I really don't know what to say. M-Most pony folk are just straight up frightened of me, not humbled or awed or… or anything like that!" he babbled, looking up at Fluttershy incredulously, as though he was hardly daring to believe what she had just told him. "I mean, I… I…"

Fluttershy reached over from her end of the couch to gently press a hoof against Frigid's mouth to silence him - a practice that left him looking momentarily bewildered. He stared at her, perplexed, and she smiled warmly at him.

"You are _remarkable_, Frigid Faze," she told him seriously. "You are a remarkable, beautiful individual filled with heart. I can tell because…" She hesitated, averting her eyes for but a brief moment. "Because that's what my mother always told me growing up, and you, Frigid… You remind me of myself."

It seemed to take Frigid several long seconds to process Fluttershy's words, and when he did, he turned his head away, eyes closed. Then, a single tear ran down his cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered, biting back a sob.

Fluttershy placed a hoof on Frigid's side, the way a human would place a hand on another's shoulder, beaming at him.

Frigid exhaled deeply, trying to pull himself together. After a moment, he opened his eyes and returned the mare's smile. "I was raised in the far north, f-far beyond the borders of Equestria. My people, the Batponies, were forged into what we are now by the frigid, snowy climate, w-which is where my name is derived from," he said, beginning to elaborate on himself as Fluttershy had requested, the yellow Pegasus now sitting up straight and hanging on his every word. "Toughened by snowstorms, we have taken the unforgiving mountain peaks and made them our own. Our home - we call it the Belfry - is a series of towers, s-spires and igloos shaped from ice and stone. Nopony from outside of the clan has ventured there in centuries, for the journey is far too treacherous for all but the m-most hardened mountaineers…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Consarn it! Ah'm late!"

Applejack trotted as fast as she could without breaking into a run, the wooden cart she was pulling utterly teeming with freshly picked apples. For as behind schedule as she was, the earth pony knew that to move any faster would likely cause her family's prized produce to go tumbling from the cart and scattering all over the path, and that, in addition to creating a trip hazard for other ponies, would be bad for business. After all, how could one sell apples if they arrived at their stall with no apples to sell?

The mare with the orange coat breathed a sigh of relief as she finally pulled up to her designated stall in the middle of Ponyville, but it was short-lived relief; she had no time to rest. Applejack straightened her signature wide-brimmed cowgirl hat and, without missing a beat, began to load up the crates of her stall with apples from the cart. Even as she was finishing her preparations, AJ noticed a few of the local ponies already coming over, taking an interest in her namesake. She was quick to put on a welcoming demeanour.

"Howdy, y'all!" she greeted warmly as a queue of three ponies, the renowned cellist Octavia Melody at the front of the group, lined up before the stall. "Sorry Ah'm a bit late, but rest assured that the latest harvest was no less… _fruitful_." Applejack chuckled good-naturedly at her own bad joke, quickly realising that she was the only one who seemed to find it amusing. She cleared her throat. "Anyhoo, Ah've got whole bunches o' quality apples fer sale! …Even though apples don't actually grow in bunches," she finished awkwardly. _'C'mon, Applejack, get it together,'_ she told herself mentally.

"I'll take a bag of five, please," Octavia said politely in her etiquette-laced British accent, holding out a hoof laden with gold Bits to AJ, who was quick to exchange them for the requested goods.

"Have a nice day now, y'hear?" Applejack called cheerfully as Octavia walked away, the cellist soon meeting up with a certain fellow music enthusiast with neon blue hair and pink DJ goggles, the two striking up a conversation that was out of earshot for Applejack, but it wasn't the conversing mares that had now garnered the farm pony's attention. No, what had Applejack momentarily distracted from her day job was the small, dilapidated wagon down at the far end of the marketplace. It had definitely seen better days; it made Trixie's wagon look like a miniature palace by comparison, with its rusted wheels and peeling paint that could be clearly seen even at a distance. It looked as though whomever had parked it there had left it abandoned… until now.

AJ watched with piqued curiosity as a pony garbed in a dark blue cloak, their face hidden by the hood, approached the wagon, the seclusive individual accompanied by none other than Applejack's good friend Fluttershy, the pink-maned Pegasus happily chatting away to the hooded pony as the latter stooped low, seeming to be searching for something on the ground. A few seconds later, the cloaked pony straightened up triumphantly, a rusted key grasped firmly between their teeth. They inserted the key onto the wagon's lock, jiggling it until the door opened. The cloaked figure then turned back to Fluttershy, enthusiastically saying something to her. Fluttershy giggled in response before bidding her fellow pony farewell, the cloaked individual disappearing into their wagon, closing the door behind them.

_'Good ol' Fluttershy,'_ Applejack thought to herself, beaming as she turned back to her stall and waiting customers. _'Must've been helpin' some elderly feller find his lost key. Heart o' gold, she has.'_

As AJ continued to peddle her produce, Fluttershy began making her way down the street in the direction of the fruit market, exchanging friendly greetings with the locals as she went. Just as AJ sold her tenth bag of apples for the day and the buying customer moved along, the farm pony found Fluttershy standing there as the last pony in line, and the two mares exchanged warm smiles.

"Howdy, Fluttershy! Always nice tuh see a familiar face while on the job," Applejack said brightly. "Here, have one on the house," she went on, holding out a particularly juicy-looking apple to the yellow Pegasus.

"Oh, no, Applejack, I couldn't possibly!" Fluttershy replied, her cheeks reddening a little. "I mean, it wouldn't be fair to your other… customers," she finished as she glanced behind her, only now realising that she was the only pony in the queue. To wit, she _was_ the queue as of now.

"Y'all let me worry 'bout that, sugarcube," AJ assured her. "What're friends for, after all?"

"I guess Rarity has some competition as the Element of Generosity," Fluttershy lightly quipped as she accepted the apple, and both mares chuckled knowingly at her joke.

"Still can't compete with you when it comes tuh kindness, though," AJ told her friend. "Ah saw you helping that feller with his misplaced key before. Good samaritans such as yerself are an inspiration, Ah plumb reckon."

"Oh, my, yes, I simply _had_ to help him!" Fluttershy elaborated. "The poor dear, he ended up locked outside of his wagon last night and was left to wander about in the pouring rain in search of shelter!"

"Locked outside in _that_ downpour?! Hoo, boy! Ah'll bet that didn't half leave the poor feller soaked tuh the skin!" Applejack exclaimed. "Guess he got lucky and found somewhere to kip fer the night, huh?"

"Well, yes. You see, I actually found him wandering around outside my cottage," Fluttershy admitted. "The poor thing; he was soaked through and then some, yet he was almost too nervous to ask for help. I insisted on him coming inside to warm up. I drew him a nice, hot bath, made sure he had a nice, soft bed to rest his head for the night and when I got up this morning, he was full of pep and much happier! Had quite the appetite, too; you should've seen the way he tore through the breakfast sandwiches I made. It was like watching a beaver chew through wood… and somehow twice as noisy," the yellow mare concluded, giggling softly at her last comment.

"Wait a minute," AJ said, her cheerful expression becoming replaced by one of concern. "You found a perfect stranger, his face hidden by a hood, wanderin' 'round outside yer house in the dead o' night, an' you invited him in without so much as a second thought? Don't ya think that might've been a little… unwise?" she asked, her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Well, I could hardly leave him out there in the rain all night, could I?" Fluttershy responded, looking horrified at the very thought.

"Ah mean, what if he was some sorta… y'know… troublemaker? The kind that preys on good-natured mares such as yerself?" Applejack elaborated. "Y'all could've been invitin' a real fiend into your home, that's all Ah'm sayin'."

"Well, I suppose that could've been a possibility," Fluttershy mused, averting her gaze for a moment before perking up once more, "But all's well that ends well; Frigid is a gentle soul and was a wonderful house guest. I do hope I'll see him again; I'd like to invite him to tea along with Discord."

"Frigid? Rather unusual name fer a pony, if Ah may say so…" Applejack murmured warily. It wasn't often that ponies in Equestria were christened with names of less-than-positive connotation, for it was generally considered bad luck. Frigid meant cold. Icy. Stiff. Unfeeling. Frozen. Not exactly a cheerful designation, to be sure.

"That's what I thought, too, but you know what they say: A rose by any other name…" Fluttershy trailed off knowingly.

Applejack chuckled, her cheerful demeanour returning. "Okay, you've got me there," she admitted. "Anyhoo, sugarcube, Ah gotta get back tuh work. Lots o' apples tuh sell."

"Oh. Okay then," Fluttershy said, putting the free apple AJ had given her into her saddle bag. "Take care, Applejack," she said happily as she turned and started to trot away.

"You too, Fluttershy," Applejack said quietly, more to herself than her friend, smiling at the yellow mare's retreating form. The earth pony then picked up one of the crisp fruits laid out before her and held it up in one hoof, proceeding to try and drum up business once more. "Apples! Ah've got farm fresh apples fer sale…!"

* * *

Frigid stepped out of his wagon, brushing traces of dirt from his cloak as he locked up the battered old carriage with that rusted key of his, a moderate-sized brown sack and a shovel slung over his back as he stood there, his hood down. He turned away from his wagon, his wild green eyes surveying the street before him carefully, a more serious expression on his muzzle compared to his previously timid demeanour. His gaze fell upon Applejack's stall. Even at a distance, the Batpony could recognise the round, red fruits on display. His razor-sharp vision and his heightened sense of smell told him from afar that those apples were crisp, fresh and _oh, so juicy_… The mysterious winged stallion licked his muzzle in an almost primal way at the very thought of biting into one.

As the Batpony took a step forward, a school-age colt walking by caught his eye; a young lad with a dark brown mane and a white coat dotted with pale brown splotches, giving him an almost bovine-like appearance. He looked a little small for his age. The colt was carrying a bag with three apples in it between his teeth, no doubt having just purchased them from Applejack's stall. As the little fellow trotted along with a level of jubilance that only a child - or Pinkie Pie - could know, he and Frigid locked eyes for just a brief moment.

Frigid gave a small, polite smile, remembering too late that even a little smile showcased his borderline vampiric fangs. The colt's eyes widened and he went from a casual trot to a full on sprint in little more than a second. He didn't account for the weight of the bag he was carrying, however, dropping it and watching with a mixture of dismay and horror as one of the apples rolled out of it and along the grass, coming to a halt before Frigid's forelegs.

Frigid didn't move, only watching the little colt somewhat uncertainly, aware that a few onlookers, some of them grown mares and stallions, were… well, looking on. He gave what he intended as an encouraging nod to the colt, inviting him to come and collect the wayward apple, but the young lad instead turned, snatched up the bag of remaining apples and bolted. The onlookers began to mutter amongst themselves, all of them eyeing Frigid warily. The Batpony lowered his head, crestfallen in every sense of the word. Everywhere he went, it was the same; ponies outside of his clan regarded him as something sinister, to be feared and shunned.

And yet, Fluttershy had been so kind to him, so accepting of him, so compassionate towards him…

And yet, here he was, being treated as an outcast, as a monster by the very ponies Fluttershy had assured him would be friendly and welcoming to him. Had she… played him for a fool? Had she only… _pretended_ to care about him? The idea consumed Frigid's mind, and just like that, his sadness was overshadowed by anger.

"What're you all st-staring at? Huh?!" he demanded, glaring daggers at the ponies around him, his voice cracking, frustrated tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "M-Mind your own business, alright?" he snapped, the last word coming out in a strangled sob. On that note, he turned and ran, not towards Applejack's fruit stall, but in the complete opposite direction, heading down the road and out of sight of the mares and stallions who were exchanging barely hushed whispers about him, all of them looking wary and disapproving.

All of them… save for one little filly at the back of the crowd, who stuck out compared to her fellow ponies not just because of her sympathetic expression, but also due to the large pink bow that adorned her bright red mane…


End file.
